Your Possible Pasts
"Jim... "
Jim turns around, utterly pleased by his craftsmanship. "Look, Spock. It's the bridge crew!"
In a circle stand seven books. Clockwise, they are: a first edition of Dr. Spock's 'Baby and Child Care', a set of communications pamphlets by Shumirai Nyota, '101 things to do in Scotland', 'On the Sulu Sea', and an anthology of Anton Chekhov's short stories. An informative guide on the Sistine Chapel sits behind the circle next to a thick book with 'The Real McCoy' printed on a waxy looking cover.
"See, McCoy and Christine are in Sickbay. But you know they'll be on the bridge at any time-- oops, should move Scotty down a few shelves to engineering. I looked everywhere but I couldn't find anything by or about Rand. I left a Khan all by itself on another display area and you would not believe the look I got when I asked where I could find some 'Gorn'..."
They're in a bookstore. An actual bookstore, complete with dry air, inoffensive music filtering through the speakers high above their heads, and beige on beige upholstery.
Less enthused, he adds, "Lighten up, it's not like this is going to spoil anything about the future."
They're in 2007, trapped in the past once more and Spock should be huddled over the scraps of a tricorder right now. Instead, he shakes his head and walks toward a display of shiny picture books.
"Spock. Spock, don't leave. Look, I just thought that getting some fresh air would be good for us, I mean we've been cooped up in the apartment for so long and we've made no progress at all with the-- you know, mission and I..."
Spock promptly returns with a large, flat book tucked beneath his arm and places it in the center of the circle.
"'Miss Spider's ABC's' by David Kirk."
"You forgot to include yourself, sir."
Jim smiled, wider than a man stuck in the past with his half alien friend for the third time should. "I guess that's why I have you."
The lights rose to twenty percent and Spock pushed himself up from his sleeping cot. He wasn't so vigilant with the internal time keeping as he'd taken to measuring time in '___ number of abs, bs, and cs without x y or z and after a while, he couldn't bear to calculate the time without down to the second. And after a dream like that, he wasn't in any mood to remind himself how long it had been.
Two years ago, he entered this universe, watched Vulcan implode, and met James Kirk-- again. He'd met so many different Kirks in his life that a female one was hardly surprising. But this was the first time he met a Kirk and his own was not there to comment on their appearance and mannerisms. 'I don't really talk like that, do I Spock?'
One and nine tenths of a year ago, Spock-- Selek, that was who he was to anyone anymore-- took up residence on New Vulcan.
Six hours ago, he received a transmission. It was nothing more than a few encrypted words: 'Going to be in your neck of the woods for a few days. Be by soon.'
Two minutes ago, Selek prepared a pot of tea and pinged the newly built Science Academy. He wasn't going to stop by the dome like structures today.
Today, he was going to see James Tiberia Kirk.












